TEAM AWARDS ANNOUNCED FOR SDHSAA FINE ARTS AND ATHLETIC ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN 2018 SPRING SEASON

The 2017-2018 school year marked the 22nd year of recognition by the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) of athletic teams and fine arts groups for academic excellence. The Activities Association recognizes 427 high school athletic teams and fine arts groups from schools across the state that have achieved the “Academic Achievement Team Award” for the spring season. Any varsity athletic team or fine arts group achieving a combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher is eligible to receive the SDHSAA Academic Achievement Team Award.

Numerous independent studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Education and major universities continue to demonstrate that students who are involved in interscholastic fine arts and athletic activities tend to have higher grades in school, have better school attendance, and have fewer disciplinary problems than non-participating students. These studies clearly show that high school students learn valuable lessons and lifetime skills, not only inside the classroom, but also through their participation in fine arts programs and school athletics. In addition, many studies indicate that students who are involved in multiple activities tend to have even better academic success than students that are involved in only one activity. This award program is sponsored by the SDHSAA to recognize the academic success of the teams and to encourage all students to excel in the classroom.

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This information is available on the SDHSAA Web site (www.sdhsaa.com).